In a world where nearly everyone wants an SUV, it’s almost refreshing to see a carmaker taking the game to a new level in a sedan. And when I say “game”, I mean the naughty problem of fuel efficiency. To address just that, Honda has launched a new version of the City. The carmaker calls it e:HEV. In other words, this is a strong hybrid – a first for the segment. And even before I get to the price, let’s get to the main highlight first. A claimed mileage of 26.5kmpl! Currently, the City Hybrid is available in a single ZX variant, costing INR 19.50 lakh.

Now, we can delve deeper into that asking price and compare it with rivals. But, the simple matter of the fact is – the City Hybrid is like no other. So, that math will be moot. The only somewhat relevant comparison is that City e:HEV costs INR 4.46 lakh more than the fully-loaded petrol-CVT derivative.

So, what gives rise to its “Strong Hybrid” tag? Behind the scenes are a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors – one works as a generator, while the other provides propulsion. Honda says that the combined output is 125bhp/253Nm. Simple math reveals that the hybrid has about 6bhp/108Nm more on tap than the petrol-only version. And an e-CVT helps harness and transfer the oomph to the front wheels. There’s also a battery that powers the electric motor. It is placed in the boot, and because the India-spec car gets a space-saver spare wheel, the boot space has dropped to 306 litres.

Besides a completely different powertrain, the Honda City e:HEV also has more tech. Bundled under ‘Honda Sensing’, there are features like Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and Road Departure Mitigation System. Also, the hybrid car has rear disc brakes (with an electric parking brake) and an autonomous emergency braking system. Other features such as ambient lighting, a tyre pressure monitoring system, six airbags, support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and an 8.0-litre touchscreen infotainment system are also available.

The Honda City has always been a no-brainer, courtesy of its reliability and practicality. And the new variant adds another feather in its hat – best-in-class mileage. That will surely help lure customers away from the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the upcoming Volkswagen Virtus. What do you think?